Torpedo for transporting and firing explosives



, 5,109. Y ed July 19,1921

ZSHEETS-SHEET 1. i

W. R. BOWKER.

TORPEDO FOR TRANSPORTING AND1FIR|NG EXPLOSIVES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 21. I920.

' Patented July 19, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Sc'condagy TED. sTATEs PATIENTIIIOFFICE. I

7 ronr nnoroia irnnnsronrmehivnrmnvenxrLosivEs.

To all whom it may concern: I I I Belt known thatjI, WILLIAM RUSHTON Bowxnn, an electr cal engn 'eer, citizen of the 'United States, residii'igat" Coronado, in

the countyof San Diego, *State"of California, have invented a new and useful Torpedo for Transporting and iring' Explosives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the destructiveness of naval warfare a-ppara tus, by i'i'tlhzin'g very"'powerful' explosive";

charges contained in suitable containers or receptacles and transportedby the main tor-.

pedo body. I I

The torpedo at present in use, consists of a'submersible cigar shaped vessel, propelled to the object to be destroyed at a suitable rate of speed. This traveling torpedo tra nsports a'suitable quantity of ahighly explosive and destructive jmaterial,which. explodes when the nose of the torpedo hits, strikes or comes into contact with the object to be dc stroyed. This involves the total loss of the torpedo which represents an expense or cost of several thousands of dollars.

The object of my invention is to'provide the main. torpedo body with a multiple or plurality of detachable explosivecontainers or vessels which can be automatically released either simultaneously or atj short intervals oftime by means of gas pressure of suflicient power to impart to the ejected explosive container a sufiicient motive power or momentum for the said explosive vessel to continue its journey to the object of destruction after having been ejected from the main body of the torpedo. 7 V '1 The purpose of the main torpedo body is to transport the plurality'of explosive containers through orv along only a part of the intervening space that lies between the object to be destroyed and the vessel that re-' d leases the torpedo; so that the main torpedo body can be automatically stopped due to lack of momentum; it being controlled to travel only a certain well defined distance and this provides for. it to'rise from its sub-' mersible loaded condition to the surface and become visible when the loadis, released, and" WILLIAM nusn'ron BowKER, or oonoNAJJo, CALIFORNIA. 1

. Specificatioirqf Letters-Patent. Patented Jilly 951 921 I Aiipn' tiea and October 21, 1920'. S da re-4 8,384.

The improvement in this invention provides for the'ejecting' and letaching of the ney, and also is providedwithgas chambers and sparkingmechanisrn which causes the high powered gas in the nclose'd gaschambers to be exploded, the expansive force and great 'pressureresulting therefrom being suf ficientto-eject and force the detachable ex plosive container out and away I from the main body of the torpedo.

"The objectf of the invention is two 'fold z viz to provide for the recovery of the main torpedo body and its assembled'mechanism and appliances and toprovide amovingtor pedo which automatically comes to rest and refl oats to the surface of the water and from which several explosivevessels or charges can be erected or fired, so as to increase several fold the chance of hitting the objectto be destroyed, because these explosive containers can be set along the axis'at different angular displacements in relation to the main axis ofthe torpedo bodyfso as to fan out and travel in divergent directions toward thetarget o r object to behit'or destroyed. 1

I attain these objects by the apparatus, appliances, mechanism or f contriva-nces shown in the accompanying drawings in- I which Figure '1 is an end view of the multiple torpedo, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross: section showing the torpedo head or nose and one of the detachable explosive containers. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal view in section showing one of the detachable explo sive containers, its gas chamber and torpedo noseror head. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the plurality of, detachable'explosive'containers' and their sealed gas chambers with'sparking devices.

Similar letters and numerals refer tovsimilar parts throughout the several views." Referring to :Figs. 1, 2 and 3, A represents the nose or. forward end of the torpedo body. In Figs. 1 Nos. 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7, 8 and'9. represent nine detachable explosive vessels,

chambers, receptacles or containers and 9 in Fig. 3represents one ofthe nine multiple explosive "containers and in Fig.4 Nos; 1, 2, 3, 1, 5, 6, 7,.and 8 represent a plurality of eight of the nine explosive vesselsx'or containers. 'In'Figs. 2, 3, aud t, G C' represent the gas chambers and S the spark gaps of said gas chambers which :are provided with renewable sealedigas tight puncture caps D. In Fig. '2 P represents the partition whichsepara-tes the multiple gas f chambers GC so that each acts separately from the. others. The dotted lines along 1 and 5 Fig. 2 and al0ng9 Fig. 3 represent an axis along which the'seve'ral explosive chambers may be set or assembledat desirable angulardisplacements to provide for travel along divergent paths or directions after having been ejected or forcedjout by the released'g'as pressure when ignited by the nating cap or device which explodes the charge when it hits or strikes any obj ect.

In Fig, 4, primary and secondary, represent the primary an d secondary windings of an induction or spark coil supplied with electrical energy derived from a battery.

W are the wiresthat form the conducting path so as to complete the electrical circuit for sparking purposes; MB is the make and breakof the induction or spark coil and K is an opening or closing switch in the pri mary circuit. Tl1e contact. maker is provided along its periphery or circumference with multiple contacts, N, each one of which is connected in the secondary circuit to one of the terminals of the spark plu S, located in the gas ignition chamber G A contact arm or finger Z rotates aroundthe contact maker and comes successively into metallic contact with each of the multiple contacts N, closing the several sparking gaps of the secondary circuits by metallic contact with the terminal annular ring J to which one end of the secondary circuit is connected and the multiple contacts N supported on an insulating ring 1%. The said contact lever or arm Z is entirelyinsulated from every part of the contact maker excepting that it makes a permanent continuous metallic sliding contact with terminal ring J andan intermittent contact with terminals. N, the said lever or arm Z being rotated atapre-determined rate of speed by means of .a clock mechanism, the combination forming what is technically called a time contactor. The annular metallic ring L is connected in the primary circuit which includes the battery, induction coil primary, key K and t'hecontact arm or lever T which is inetallically connected to one of the battery terminals which metallic ring said contact arm T and metallic ring L complete the primary circuit connections, the said contact arm T being insulated from all and every part of the contact maker excepting the batter terminal and the annular with which it makes a continuous sliding contact, the said contact lever or arm T, being rotated simultaneously with contact arm Z by means of the clock mechanism. If it is desired to fire or release all the explosive containers simultaneously, the contact maker as shown in Fig. 4 can be simplified by substituting an annular terminal rin to replace the contact studs or terminals N and by substituting a common. return wire for one side of all the spark plug terminals to replace the several separate and distinct circuit lines or wires that connect to each separate multiple contact post, stud or terminalN.

7 The multiple torpedo in action is released from the vessel,war ship, destroyeror submarine as in 1present day use. The torpedo as an assem jed unit'is'gaged or calibrated to travel a predetermined distance due to a definite motive power which can be automatically controlled and stopped or by a definite momentum applied to it when released. The torpedo transports the detachable plurality of explosive containers each one of which is charged-with the necessary explosive material for destructive purposes. A clockwork mechanism is calibrated or set to act. at a predetermined interval of time, the function of said clockwork mechanism or time contactor being first to release and close the primary circu'it'key, K, which'closes and cOmpletesthe primary circuit which causes the induction or spark coil to become energ'ized, the primary circuit of which induces a current or energizes the Secondary circuit. The rotating contact maker causes the secondary circuit to be successively and in- V termi-ttentlyclosed When each contact terminal or stud N becomes metalically connected with the rotating contact arm Z. A. spark passes between the spark ga, terminals S located in the gas chamber G which spark ignites and explodes the gas mixture in the gas chamber; The said gas explosion results in an enormous expansive force and pressure which punctures and disrupts the p eal which force is free to act a dpress out, eject or release the explosive head, container or vessel, imparting to it suflicient momentum to cause it to travel in a prede termined'direction so as to hit or strike any desired object'aime'd at; which object when struck, forces into action the percussion cap or detonatingdevice which explodes the inclosed charge with destructive results; At

short intervals of time, each of the plurality of explosive containers are successively forced out, ejected and released from the mam torpedo body and travel along their path 20f: destruction. ASP each explosive cartridge orcontainer is released, the main torpedo *body becomes.- successively lighter and lighter, its fioatability,"displacement and buoyancy 1 being so: designed that when all the charges have been released it floats on the surface, becomes visible and can be recovered, brought aboard ship or land, and recharged or reloaded with a: plurality of explosivecartridgesor containers. I The method ofprocedure'to-reload foraction isto clean out and drain the" gas chain bers GG and supply to eachgas-chamber a suflicient quantity of an explosive: agent, either solid, liquid-or gas, Which-when sealed in the gas chamber by attaching a- 'newgas seal evaporates or mixes and becomes difiiused with the inclosedvolume-0f" air. :The quantity of the explosive agent being such that when evaporated or mixed and diffused, combines with the air to form an explosive admixture, which when ignited or fired will result in a maximum explosibility for energy propelling purposes. After filling and sealing the gas chambers the explosive cartridges or containers can be assembled in thetorpedo body. The clock mechanism time contactor can then be set for action, the torpedo released from ship or land and its practical operation repeated by releasing or ejecting the explosive cartridges along their path of destruction. The time contactor and contact maker act automatically by the controller clock mechanism which can be regulated or calibrated to act at a predetermined interval of time. The fluid, liquid, gas, chemical or explosive agent that is necessary to form the gas explosion ,that'occurs in the. gas chambers forpropelling purposes, may be gasolene, a hydro-carbon or any suitable agent either solid, liquid or. gas to produce the desired result. The explosive agent utilized in the detachable explosive con tainers or cartridges may alsobe any suit- V able agent to produce the desired'results.

While I have confined my description to a typical appliance, contrivance, mechanism or device, I do not limit myself to any particular number, form, shape or construction, detail of the gas chamber or of the sparking device, or to any particular number, shape,

a form or size of explosive containers or cartridges or to any material, metal or alloy or matter of which it is composed, ,or assembled, or to any particular explosive'agent contained-or inclosed or transported by. said explosive container, or to any particular liquid, chemical fluid, gas, solid, or explosive agent necessary to produce the desired pro pelling force or energy in the said gas chamber, or'to any method, Way or means of'refilling or placingthe said explosive agent in aid gas chamber, or to any particular sparking device or spark plug, or to any particular kind of induction or spark coil or method of wirin the electricalcircuits or to an r ar ticular type of clock mechanismfor. timing or rotating or operating the-contact maker. or time contactor; or limit the assembly of the detachable explosive heads, either with theirv axis horizontal, or vertical, or at any definite numerical angular *or degree dis placement or location either IfIOm the hori-. zontal or vertical line or to any particular method, way or meansof refitting, recharging or assembling: the said explosive con tainers in said maintorpedo body, or to any kindoi material ormaterials used in constructive details;-or-to any numerical value of buoyancy, floatability or displacementof the aggregated parts of the multiple torpedo. The hereinstated principles of action, constructive details, assembly, design and equipment and'the application and functioning in practical operation must besuch as to produce the most e'flicient results to meet circumstances and conditions.

I am fully aware that prior to myin-T vention there are torpedoes, but they funce tion byv transportlng the explosive charge as a fixed part of the main torpedo body, the

whole assembled unit being destroyed or lost when exploded, whereas in my invention the main torpedo body is utilized only as transporting agent for a plurality of detachable explosive containers or cartridges which ofthe device or torpedo that are destroyed or lost when in action and my invention functions on a difierent operative action" pedo, of a plurality of explosive receptacles containing an explosive agent, the said exploslve receptacles being each provided with a detonating device; a plurality of gas said explosive containers are the only parts explosive chambers provided with spark,

gaps and a puncture sealing cap, the said gas explosive chambers being filled with an energy propelling agent, an electrical induction sparking coil, an electrical battery, i

a multiple pointtiming contactor and elec trical c1rcu1t connecting wires, all substantially 'as set forth.

2. In a torpedo the combination of a moving submersible vessel provided with multiple compartments ;Ithe said compartments each receiving and containing an explosive receptacle provided with a. detonating head and containing an explosive'agent; the said plurality of explosive chambers being detachable from the main body of the torpedo; the axis of said explosive torpedo receptacles being adjusted along directive lines of dif ing devicevand a puncturesealingcap;(each said gas explosive ichan'iber being :filled with an energy propelling explosive agent; an electrical sparking coil, an'electrical battery adjustable timing contactor and electrical conducting wires that complete thelelectrical circuitincluding the sparking coil, :the spark plugs, the battery and 'time contactor all substantially as set forth.

3. A submersible torpedo, having a plurality ofrecesses, containing a plurality of detachable explosive receptacles provided with detonating caps, and an explosive agent; the said detachable-explosive receptacles being assembled with axes at different angular degrees of displacement; a plu rality of gas explosive chambers provided with sparking plugs and a puncture sealing cap, an electrical induction. sparking coil, an electrical battery, an adjustable -multiple recesses which :transport \a' plurality "of detachableexplosivereceptacles, adapted to be "detached andejected afrom Said r 11 plurality of explosiver as chambers provided with spark plugs, and renewable puncture sealing caps, said chamber being filled with an energy propelling explosive agent; an

electrical'sparking coil, an-electricall battery, a multiple point timing contactor and electrical conducting wires and ;.switches, all

substantially as described.

MILLIAMHRUSHTON :BOWKER. 

